price



(No Model.)

J. 0'. PRICE.

GAR STARTER.

Patented Aug. 11, 1885.

s I 0E M/JIKZTESEEE.

N. PETERS PholO-Lifllognpher, Wilhinglon. D..

UNITED Srarns ATENT mace.

JOSHUA 0. PRICE, OF TAYLOESVILLE, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO AUGUSTIN W. \VRIGHT AND FREEMAN PQROAOH, OF CHICAGO, ILL.

a CAR-STARTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 323,962, dated August 11, 1885.

(No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Beitknown that [,JOSHUAO. PRIOE,a citizen ofthe United States, residing atTaylorsville, in the county of Christian and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in OacStarters and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which forma part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in car-starters, and its object is to provide a device which will be simple in its construction, application, and operation, and which can be manufactured at a slight cost.

It consists in the construction, combination, and arrangements hereinafter described and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of my device, a portion of the car being shown in section, so that the position of my device may be readily understood. Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly in section, of my device, the nearer ratchet disk being removed. Fig. 3 is a front elevation. Fig. 4 is a vertical section on the line 00 00, Fig. 2; and Fig. 5 shows a slightly modified form of the lever.

In the drawings, A represents the car-wheel axle. Upon this axle I key or otherwise secure two ratchet-disks, B B. One of these disks, B, is entirely smooth on its inner side, while the other, B, is provided with an annular projection, B as shown. This annular projection B acts asa journalbearin g for the lever O, as wiil be understood on reference to Figs. 2 and l The lever (l is made of the peculiar shape shown, with an enlargement, U, at its lower end, back of the axle. The upper end of this lever is provided with an eye, through which a pivot-pin, D, is inserted. A yoke, E, fits over the lever O, and is held in position upon it by the pivot-pin D. The yokeE consists, essentially, of three arms, E E E radiating from the main portion, through which the pivotpin D is in serted. The main portion or body of the yoke is formed with a socket for the admission of the upper end of the lever G, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4. The arm E extends upward and has formed through it a curved slot, F. The end of the draw-bar H is inserted through this slot F, as shown in Fig. 1. The arm E projects forward over theratchetdisks B B and is provided on its under face with ratchet-teeth E which engage with the teeth on the disks B B in the operation of my device, as will be understood. The arm E projects backward and downward over the ratchet disks, as shown. On its lower end on its inner face I form a lug, E the'function of which will presently appear.

The draw 'bar H is provided near its forward end with a stop, H. A similar stop, H, is secured to the under side of the ear platform and an opening formed through its center for the passage of the draw-bar. Between these stops .H and H and around the draw-bar H, I place a coiled spring, J.

The operation of my device is simple and will be readily understood on reference to the the drawings.

When the car is at rest, the end of the draw: bar is at the bottom of the slot F. When a pull is exerted on the draw bar, the top arm of the yoke E will be brought forward and the end of the draw-bar will pass to the upper end of the slot F. The arm E will thus be forced down and the ratchet-teeth E will engage the teeth of the ratchet-disks B B, and a further pull on the draw-bar will cause the said disks to revolve. hen the disks B B commence to revolve, the motion will be at once connnunicated to the car axle and wheels and the car thus be started. When the car has been started, the spring J will force the draw-bar back, and the lever 0 will swing backward so that the lug E on the arm E will bear against the enlargement O and throw the arm E up out of engagement with the ratchetteeth of the disks B B.

My device is soarranged that after the 5 disks B B have made about one-sixth of a revolution the arm IE will be disengaged from them.

It will be seen that my device is entirely automatic in its operation and requires no attention from the driver.

In order to prevent the yoke from dropping too far back I employ a stop bar, K, which has its rear end pivotally secured on a pin on the yoke E below the eye I I preferably employ two bars, K, arranged on opposite sides of the yoke, as thereby a steadier action is secured. These stop-bars are preferably pivoted on the pin D of the yoke, though they could be arranged on separate pins provided for the special purpose and slightly removed from the pivot of the yoke. These stop-bars could be arranged above the drawbars by having the part E extended above the eye F sutficiently to permit the attachment of the said stop-bars. I prefer to attach the stop-bars below the draw-bar, as shown, because 1t is a simpler and cheaper arrangement. The stopbars pass through the cross sill or pendent bar I-1 and are provided with cross-pins on their forward ends. Behind these crosspins I arrange an elastic cushion or spring, K, as shown.

The spring on the cross-bar is compressed against the crosssill on the car when the car is in motion. In other words, the team pull against this spring. Now, the cant-lever is thrown forward and the other teeth of the wheel and pawl do not come in contact. Suppose the car has stopped, however; then the above'mentioned spring is released from strain and forces back the top of the yoke. If it were not for these two stop-bars, K, the spring might exert sufficient force to throw the top too far back. I prefer to bolt a plate of iron one'fourth of an inch thick, eight inches high, to the cross-sill. This will contain a round hole in the center for the draw-bar and two rectangularholes for the stop-bars to pass through. Pins on the end of the stop-bars prevent their pulling out. The spring may be located against the cross-sill, as shown, or at any other point along the draw-bar.

It will be understood that instead of making the cant-lever G with an enlargement or with an arm extending to the periphery of the disks it could be made with an eye or sleeve just large enough to carry it, and the lug E could be extended to form an arm or extension which would pass between the disks and touch the sleeve of the said cant-lever. In other words, the arm 0 (shown as a part of the cantlever 0) could be made as a part of the yoke, and be extended inward and touch the sleeve or eye C of said cant-lever. It will, of course, be understood that in such construction the said arm 0 would be detached from the sleeve G as indicated in dotted lines, Fig. 5.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A car-starter consisting of two ratchetdisks rigidly secured to the car-axle, and a rack or pawl pivotally supported above them on a cam disengaging lever journaled on the axle, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a car starter, a lever provided with an enlargement back of its support on the axle, and having an arm projected beyond the periphery of the disks on the axle, and having an eye formed in the outer end of said arm, and a yoke mounted on said arm and secured thereto by a pin passing through the yoke and said eye in the arms, as and for the purposes specified.

3. In a ear-starter, an operating-yoke, constructed substantially as shown and described, having a socket in its under face for the admission of the yoke-support and provided with three radial arms, one of said arms being provided with an eye for the insertion of the end of the draw-bar, another with ratchet-teeth, and the third with a lug, which forms a hearing for the yoke when the same is at rest, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination of the two ratchet-disks secured on the car-axle, one of which is provided with an annular projection encircling the axle, a lever supported on the annular projection between the two disks, and the operating-yoke fitting over the upper end of the lever and pivotally secured thereto, substantially as shown, and for the purposes set forth.

5. The combination, with the yoke pivotally secured on the projecting end of the fulcrumlever and provided with teeth to engage the teeth on fixed disks, of the draw-bar attached to the eye of the yoke, a stop-bar having its rear end pivoted to the yoke, and a yielding cushion or bum per arranged to engage the forward end of the stop-bar, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof l affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOSHUA O. PRICE.

Witnesses:

WM. FRIES, CHARLES ARND. 

